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 Replies: 10 / Views: 1,188 |
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New Member
United States
37 Posts |
Originally, I had posted a picture asking the question if my copper penny had a zinc plating that was chipping not knowing that there were no copper pennies with a zinc plating under a copper top plating, only to later discover everyone claims they do not exist. Yes this was actually shocking. And I could not believe no one had seen one. As I assumed many of the 1982 copper pennies were made this way. I did my best to take pictures with my crappy phone to no avail. The statistics on the 1982 penny have long been questioned. First there were 7 types, and as of lately (3 years or so) It has now been updated to 8 types with the introduction of the 1982D small date copper. That being said, I believe there may be two more types, a 1982 copper penny with zinc plating under copper plating. I originally thought many of the pennies were zinc with plated copper and never questioned it. After hording pennies for over 40 years I never weighed these because I assumed they were zinc pennies and never knew there could be a difference. Recently I decided to go through all of the collected pennies and was able to find several (yes several) pennies that all exhibit a weight of 3.0g and above with what appear to be a copper penny with a zinc coating below the top copper coating. Five of them are 1982 with no mint mark, and one other with 1982D mint mark, again weighing in as copper 3.0g and above. Has anyone else run across this phenomenon? Are there millions of these out there that no one has questioned? Is it possible the disputed carbon marks on these 1982 pennies is related to a sandwich of the copper core, zinc plating and then the copper plating over top? Are these coins really worth grading if it's shortly found that millions of these exist and no one has questioned it? Thank you, Respectfully, |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
19215 Posts |
Suggest you submit your coin to a reputable third party grading service for evaluation and attribution. Too, consider reaching out to a recognized numismatic publication and share your thinking--they may offer to put you in contact with undisputed Lincoln Cent experts. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
Zinc planchet are made by Jardan Zinc in TN, they roll the strip, blank it, plate the blanks and upset the edges then send them to the mint ready to strike. The mint bought copper crip and did the blanking and upsetting themselves fro the copper cents. The mint doesn't do plating. They don't use zinc except for the plated cents and as I said they come in ready to coin. They would not be zinc plating copper cents, and them plating over the zinc with more copper.
Edited by Conder101
07/28/2020 11:35 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3237 Posts |
This is really starting to sound obsessive. Everyone here has given you their opinion, yet you refuse to listen. Either send it to a TPG as ijn said, or accept the wisdom of the community you've asked. |
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New Member
 United States
37 Posts |
ijn1944, Thank you very much for your suggestion. I am very new to this and feel very far out on a limb. I have plans to get a second opinion later this week, I'm hoping they can give me a definitive opinion/answer. If need be, I'll make the choice to send one of them to a TPG. I was also considering finding someone with an XRF Alloy Analyzer. Although I'm not sure if it will tell me the exact content from plating to plating to core back to plating and plating. I have seen that some have those capabilities, but to my knowledge I have only seen them display one level of plating. Regardless, I know they are capable of measuring the total metal content and impurities. I believe the copper planchet is 95 percent copper, but not sure if the other 5 percent is zinc or tin normally. I'm hoping maybe Conder101 can advise. Thank you Conder101, I had no idea of who made the planchet, or how they were delivered to the mint. Thank you for the education. SamCoin, I appreciate everyone's comments. Yes it maybe a little obsessive, but if you believed you had some in your possession and believed as I have stated there may be millions out there how would you frame it? Respectfully. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10635 Posts |
PLEASE send ALL of your coins in question into be graded! It will be a great educational tool for you to learn. PCGS is the best of the bunch. Please do get back to us with the results, we look forward to hearing from you! You may be on the verge an amazing discovery!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1658 Posts |
Think about it, the switch to copper coated zinc coins was to save money. The regular copper cents were costing more than a cent each to make, so the change was to cut costs. Why would they then try a process that cost more money? Take a copper planchet, zinc coat it then copper coat it? This would cost more than the regular copper cents that already cost too much. Makes no sense at all.
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New Member
United States
37 Posts |
lcutler, I agree with you. Makes no sense.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3237 Posts |
If it makes no sense, that's usually a good indication that your assumption was wrong, not that you need to just keep beating your head against the same faulty conclusion until someone confirms it for you. By all means, send it off if that's what it takes, but at this point I'm starting to wonder if you'll let it rest once a TPG rejects the error designation or if you'll have to take it to every TPG and coin shop in existence until you find a person who will agree with your version of reality. |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
7174 Posts |
 Send them all.  |
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Forum Dad
United States
24175 Posts |
The original topic was locked for a reason. Do not start another one. Send the coin in to a TPG since you're so sure. When you get it back, take a picture, and start a new topic.  |
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Replies: 10 / Views: 1,188 |
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Posted 07/28/2020 11:28 pm
